In Darkness, Light
by Tiger Timberwolf
Summary: A short one shot set after episode 13. Seras gains an ability that leads to an interesting situation. Could be taken as AS.


Disclaimer: I don't own Hellsing, not the manga, not the anime, and not Alucard or Seras. (sigh)

A/N: I'm not sure of this...it just sort of came to me. Please, tell me what you think.

Seras Victoria glowered at her nemesis. It waited patiently, mockingly, knowing it had the upper hand. With a snarl she snatched the bag of medical blood out of its ice bath. Disregarding the wine glass, she drank it down in the fashion Alucard usually did, like some kind of gory Capri Sun. As usual, the problem wasn't that she hated the taste – but that she liked it far, far too much. It made her wonder what it might be like to have it still warm from some hapless human's throat. And that bothered her, still.

The novice vampire finished her meal and threw herself down on her coffin/bed with a deep sigh. After the Incognito incident, things had become too serious for her to hold off drinking any more. Sir Hellsing had remained imprisoned for three full months before her innocence was 'discovered' and her honor restored to her by the Queen with all the pomp, ceremony, and apologies anyone could have hoped for.

Seras gave a quiet snort. Discovered indeed. The other members of the Round Table had been scrambling about like ants in a ripped open anthill to cover up the mess of a traitor in their ranks – and had let Sir Integral Wingates Hellsing sit in prison, the reputation of her family and organization in ruins, while they covered their own asses. She licked traces of blood off of her fangs. The FREAK vampires had hit the city with a renewed vengeance, part of the reason that the Hellsing name had been restored.

Problem was, the public was still leery even after the royal apologies and pardons, unable to forget the video of the organization attacking the Tower of London where the Queen supposedly was trapped. Manpower was down to less than half, with few recruits coming in, which meant Seras and her Master were called out far more often to deal with things. There was no more leeway for her personal struggles; she had to drink and be strong to fight the FREAKs, night after night.

Seras touched the control panel that lowered the coffin lid and rolled over, eyes closing as the sun climbed above the horizon. She wrapped her arms around her body pillow, the one human touch to her resting place, and promptly fell asleep.

* * *

  
  
As night fell over the Hellsing compound, Seras Victoria began to come awake. She winced a bit and snuggled deeper into her pillow, not wanting to get up right away. For some reason, she was exceptionally comfortable tonight. Her pillow felt unusually cool and silky beneath her cheek, although somewhat firmer than she was accustomed to. As the ex-policewoman roused a bit more, she became aware of a strange mixture of scents permeating her nostrils. Old leather, old blood, gun oil. It was a curiously pleasing mix, but why was it in her coffin?

She shifted a bit, bringing her arm up towards the top of the pillow. Her fingers touched something cool and hard, definitely not a pillow. Still half asleep, she traced her hand over the surface of this foreign object. Strange, it felt like a jawbone. Leading up to a sharp nose. And – The 'pillow' beneath her shook slightly as a low rumbling laugh filled the coffin.

_: Awake, police girl? :_

Seras's eyes flew open wide and started up, cracking her head on the top of the coffin and falling right back down onto Alucard's chest.

"M-Master?!" Looking towards the head of the coffin, she saw two bright red eyes gleaming at her in amusement. The novice vampire was mortified to realize that she'd been sleeping against the elder vampire as if he was her body pillow, one arm over his chest and one leg over both of his. "Why are you in my coffin?" she blurted out, still reeling in shock. Again that laugh, which sounded very loud in such close quarters.

"I'm not, police girl. You're in mine."

"Wh- what? I – But – How –" Seras tried to move again, and struck her head on the unyielding surface of the coffin once more. "Oww..." She went rigid as a silk clad arm wrapped around her. With her cheek pressed against his chest, she now knew that the scents she'd detected were his.

"You've been drinking your blood every night," he murmured. Pink-cheeked, she nodded, uncertain what that had to do with this peculiar situation. "Some of your midian abilities have started to awaken, police girl."

"Master, you mean –"

"Our beds are separated by a wall. When you rolled over, you went right through it."

"Oh..." she whispered, astonished. "Then...why didn't you..."

"Your sleep is much deeper than mine, police girl. I could not wake you." His voice picked up an amused, mocking quality. "And I found the experience of being used as a pillow – different." Seras whimpered in embarrassment and buried her face in - she jerked back immediately, and only his arm prevented her from hitting her head yet again.

"I'm sorry, Master. I'll get out –"

_: So eager to get away, police girl? You had no problems snuggling against me that night in Cheddar. :_

Seras's mind flashed back to that evening her life had changed so drastically. The sensation of being carried back through the night, confused and stunned. She had been held close against his chest then, she remembered, and it had felt oddly safe, as if she'd been shielded from all the horror that had just occurred...

_: A great night, wasn't it, police girl? :_

The young vampire felt an odd smile hovering on her lips, and it was without hesitation that she replied,

_: Yes, Master. It was. : _

His chuckle rumbled against her again.

_: I knew you'd come around in time, Seras Victoria. : _

And there was silence as the two immortal beings lay there in the dark, the younger taking comfort in the elder's presence, and the elder....well, only he really knew.


End file.
